Friday, February 19, 2016

I have to admit, staying motivated for me is super hard. Hi, I'm Samantha and I have a problem staying motivated and staying on task. Let's all say it together, Hi Samantha.

Let's break this down a bit shall we.

In the beginning of a project I'm super motivated, I get the ideas flowing and I'm excited. I have the type of personality that when I get an idea, I need to do it immediately. I usually don't sit there and think about it for long periods of time. Which is why it's bad when i want to get another tattoo, I think of the idea and I book the appointment. Boom, done. I don't suggest doing this by the way, it can lead to regrets in the end. Case in point, my first tattoo. But that's a completely different story for another day.

See! I can't even stay on topic. Wow, I need help.

Back to the topic at hand.

For me, I need to be doing something or I get board. I get board very easily. Which is why it's sometimes hard for me to keep up with my YouTube channel or this blog for example. I get super excited in the beginning and then nothing, blank. Does that happen to anyone else or am I alone in this?! Raise your hand if you ride the struggle bus with this!

For me to stay motivated I need to write things down. For some reason seeing it written down is what focuses me to stay on task. Which is why I never use the reminders app on my phone. So many people have these really cool apps that help them stay on task for the day and they make lists and so on. But for me, there's something completely satisfying about writing it down in my planner. I see it, I do it, I check it off at the end of the day and really feel like I've accomplished something.

I also find that keeping things on the calendar for future posts or videos or whatever task you need to do helps to keep you motivated. At the beginning of each month I spend time filling out my calendar for the whole month. I ink it in there so when it comes to the day I know what to expect. Another example for this is working out. I can't tell you how much I dislike to workout. I always feel like there's something else I could be doing, like the laundry or being outside. But if I take the time at the start of the month and get it on the calendar, I'm more likely to actually do it.

I recently took the plunge and ordered the Get To Work Book. If you have not heard of this, where have you been?! It was created by a fellow blogger who also lives here in Sunny SoCal. It's a game changer when it comes to keeping your life organized. I LOVE to organize and make sure everything is all together. It motivates me :) See what I did there? This book makes it so much fun to plan out your days and months. I won't go into too much detail because Elise has many videos on this book on her blog. Check it out here: gettoworkbook.com
But basically, you need this planner in your life immediately. In fact I won't get my feelings hurt if you click over there right now and order one of yourself. I highly encourage you to do so.

It's so easy to get caught up in everyday life and things we all need to accomplish, but just take it one bite at a time. Like my husband always says to me when i'm feeling really overwhelmed, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. " It's like that in all things, take on each task at a time and at the end of the day you get the satisfaction of checking that off your list.

So what motivates you? How do you stay on task? For me, it's all about writing it down. Set goals for yourself, both long term and short term. And lastly, just start! Get your butt in gear and start checking things off your lists. Hope this helps all my fellow procrastinators out there. You're not alone :) XO

Welcome Loves.

Hello and welcome to the life and style blog of Samantha Dove. Here is where I post and share about our incredible life in Southern California and all the adventures and passions that come along the way. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy! XO